Mr & Mrs Smith

Down cobbled Hill Street, Nicks Warehouse (+44 (0)28 9043 9690) is a wine bar with an open kitchen. Expect humble bistro food with a twist: bangers ’n’ mash are elevated, thanks to cheese‑enhanced champ drenched in a red wine sauce. Chef Paul Rankin – no stranger to Michelin stars over the years – has several outposts in his native city: his Shaftesbury Square flagship, Cayenne (+44 (0)28 9033 1532), has a modern menu with Asian overtones (so, lots of wasabi, tamarind and miso‑flavoured treats); or visit Roscoff Brasserie on Linenhall Street (+44 (0)28 9031 1150) for classic French cooking. Restaurant Michael Deane on Howard Street (+44 (0)28 9033 1134) is a real treat; it holds a Michelin star, and is a great place to really spoil yourselves. There's also a bustling and more informal brasserie downstairs where the tasty dishes are no less tempting.

For restorative snacks and coffees, Deane’s Deli on Bedford Street (+44 (0)28 9024 8800) also sells local cheeses and chocolates. Café Vaudeville on Arthur Street (+44 (0)28 9043 9160) is a baroque Paris‑themed bistro and café. Have a Darjeeling tea with patisseries in the afternoon, or an early supper. The upstairs Bolli Bar is, as you’d expect, the place for a glass of bubbly.

St George's Market off Oxford Street in the city centre is one of the city's landmarks. Recently renovated to its former Victorian splendour, the market has more than 200 stalls selling everything from antiques, handmade soaps and embroidered linens to local cheeses and even shark steaks. Alternatively, build up an appetite in the fresh sea air and then treat yourself to a fabulous fishy lunch at the Mourne Seafood Bar (+44 (0)28 4375 1377). About 30 minutes’ drive from Belfast, set in the coastal village of Dundrum near Murlough nature reserve, the restaurant serves oysters and mussels cultivated on its own shellfish beds at Carlingford Lough. For more listings and information, see our Belfast destination guide.

January Out to Lunch is a fringe festival of lunchtime music, theatre and comedy in the Cathedral Quarter (www.cqaf.com). May Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival offers the best in new theatre, comedy, music, literature, circus performance, visual arts and more (www.cqaf.com). September–October Open House Festival brings traditional roots and acoustic music to the Cathedral Quarter (www.openhousefestival.com). October The Belfast Festival at Queen’s is Europe’s second-biggest arts festival, with opera, stand-up comedy and live performances (www.belfastfestival.com).